Bose - SoundLink Flex (1st Gen)

I tried several models during my search - Bose SL Flex (1 Gen), UE Hyperboom 4 and B&O Explore. The Bose by far sounded the best (out of the box - there’s no EQ) then the others (with EQ). I believe the 1st Gen can get a bit lower bass than Gen 2. If you can get a refurbished gen 1 direct from Bose it’s a pretty good price! If you get a pair I’m sure it will sound even better. I enjoy EDM and beats that have a bit more thump. Obviously the low, lows won’t produce in this size of speaker but the mid thumps are definitely there. For the size, the Bose (IMO) is the best sounding.

The Bose SL Plus will likely be a solid fit for you as Bose has a pretty balanced sound, out of the box. Not sure if you’re looking for indoor v outdoor but you might look into getting two SL Flex and setting them up in stereo mode. They sound incredible.

They are Gen 1. Could be a 5-10 second process but frequently it takes multiple attempts to get them to pair. Occasionally not at all. It’s finicky. If I can buy 2 that stay paired, without a downgrade, then that would be great.

Well it's a premium level well made and designed speaker. Once you hear it you understand why the price is like that. Yes it could be cheaper, but it's bose's branding. They use a high quality full range driver that is amazing at producing lows with minimal distortion. And it only uses bluetooth, it has no aux input. You can even get the older gen flex, which has bluetooth 4.2 but is still amazing sounding and is very similar to the new gen soundwise, can be found for even less than 100$

Well you get both in one. You get plenty of sound out of that speaker, and a pretty low latency, lower than anything iv'e tried. So my recommendation is the bose soundlink flex first gen. If you're able to find it for a good price (lower than 100$), you will be very happy with it i guarantee. Your choice mate.

Yea if you can that's great. I doubt you gonna return it 😅 It's miles better than the speaker you owned

Wondering now if your stance still applies? I have the Bose Flex and the Bose Portable Smart Speaker (successor to the revolve+ II 360 w.e.?) I hardly use the smart speaker and it always has connection issues or drained battery. Usually keep it plugged in to avoid that. The flex has been good for my needs. Looking at getting the Sound Link Max to replace the Smart Speaker. Any thoughts? 

I got this deal on the Bose flex last time they had it and I'm really happy with the speaker. Overall I prefer the Bose sound profile to the JBL. That being said JBL has a great speaker and I use them for parties where I might want louder sound. For personal use at 50-70% volume and I'm within 20ft of the speaker the Bose is great. My preferred orientation is facing up on a counter. I listen to everything but country with emphasis on metal and electronic generas. Some old skool hip hop too. Battery life and loudness aren't going to be as good as the JBL, but I got it for the sound profile which I'm more happy with. OH - and the costco version of the Bose doesn't have a microphone so you can't use it to make calls.

Totally agree - and that fact isn't readily apparent either! Considering it's shortfalls in loudness and battery life Bose needs additional features to stay competitive considering it's cost. On paper the Bose is a dog! It's a simple single speaker/radiator setup which is antiquated now. The only leg the Bose has to stand on is it's sound profile. Now this works for me personally but $100 is still $100 and I would have been happier had I gotten the microphone (which is likely in there, just disabled in software).

The JBL Charge 5 and Bose SoundLink Flex were everywhere, and from what I’ve used, they deserve it.

motion 300 sounds better to my ears than the flex, especially with some eq. the bose always sounds muddy and closed in due to it being mono

I found myself the Bose Soundlink Max the best in terms of sound quality. If too expensive, then a Bose Flex Soundlink, the small one sounds powerfull and amazing, even outdoors for small parties and its only about 100 bucks and the beauty of it is that they can be paired in twos so it gives an wide stereo effect, still cheaper then a Max.

Yep, mine, too. Annoying, as my other cheaper/less prestigious-branded Bluetooth speakers stay mostly charged even of if I don’t use them for a few months or even a year. The Flex is down to 50% in just a few weeks. Not good, Bose.

I have the Home Speaker 500 and it has wonderful sound… and I have been tipping my toes in the audiophile waters. Yes my 2 channel component hifi system sounds better, but it’s not practical to have that in every room! Also my go to portable paddle boarding speaker is my Bose Soundlink Flex, which sounds great!

If you want portable that you can take outdoors and get wet, check out the Bose Soundlink Max and Soundlink Flex. I have the flex and take it paddleboarding and camping and love it! Bonus: it floats!

I use Bose Soundlink flex and I liked it so much that I bought another 3. It's portable while having reasonable depth and clarity with deep bass and a balanced Bose sound signature as well. It fills small indoor environments with ease.

+1 on all the Bose Soundlink love. I have a Soundlink Micro that is over 7 years old. A year ago I got a Soundlink Flex and it is terrific, too.

I also owned both and returned the X600 after using both for 30 days indoor and outdoor. My EARS and those of my guests are the basis. X600 needs tweaking when genre changes - not consistent in SQ. No need to tweak on the sound link, sounds great at all volumes

Bose for sound, undisputed champion in the small size. The Klipsch Nashville also has lots recommending its sound is on par with the Bose - have not heard myself. Marshall for cool factor. JBL if you want the heaviest bass. In a perfect world the Bose sound with the Marshall look! Any of the three are solid choices. Nobody in their right mind would recommend the earfun unless you read the comment section on reddit….lots of paid ad posters with links here.

Undisputed by who? Most ppl never heard of minirig, and they are unreliable. EVERYBODY knows the Bose ROCKS at its pricepoint/size.

The RGB and app interface made me put this speaker down and instead opt for a Bose Soundlink Flex- the option to link two speakers together for a more robust sound experience or to simply spread out sound without blasting volume clinched it for my personal use case. The smaller volume intervals isn’t a terrible feature though and something that could absolutely stand to be shared among other manufacturers. Not surprised that LG decided to put pressure on you- the $200 price point is hard to swallow and absolutely on the higher range of what I would want to spend on any portable speaker- I was able to pick up two of the Bose speakers for $229 from my local Club store not too long ago

Bose Max for $225 (taking advantage of the tricks), two Bose Flex for under $200, or two Klipsch Nashvilles for $200 on Amazon. I'd go with 2 Nashvilles. I own all of these after trying over 30 BT speakers

The magic happens when you get 2 Flex's linked in stereo mode. The fullness really jumps out BEYOND what you would expect from adding a 2nd speaker.

Highly unlikely as the Max was released rather recently. If the more popular Flex is an example, you'll have to wait many, many years. As for 2 Flex's, it sounds better than 1 Max. There's a video of this on YT. https://youtu.be/z9WRoB3TIGM?si=e-4BqjwzeFLWYtn2 The stereo effect kicks in from spreading the sheets out and it's more room filling.

Knife sharpener is a game changer! I also bring my own coffee and I have a travel Aeropress. Generally, I also carry my Bose Flex speaker so I can have music in whatever room I’m in. It also doesn’t hurt to bring some laundry detergent pods if the place has a washer.

I got the Bose sound link flex, and that’s a great price for prime day

Great in stereo mode if you have two units

Sony’s last wave of portable speakers were not great so I think a lot of people didn’t bother trying the new ones. For context, I prefer not having to mess with EQ to find the best sound, but I will do it to see if there’s any improvement over the default or the included extra bass mode (xbass, ult, etc). Speakers used to need to be EQ’d but the newest ones sound great without needing to mess around (for my ears). For portable, the sony ult field 1 is my sweet spot for sound quality and size. I used to carry around the bose soundlink flex, but it lays flat or on the side while this one can stand straight up, taking much less space. The passive radiators give it a ton of bass and I honestly prefer the sound over the flex. The tribit micro is “smaller” but takes up more space when using. The tribit stormbox 2 is a good budget option. Boom 4 was not worth the price. For home, the partyboxs are great but so big, also too big are the boombox, blast, motion boom plus, etc. The bose soundlink max is big but still pretty small in comparison and it sounds massive. Really easy to take room to room. The speakers that I am looking at that might replace it are the brane x, or the sony ht-ax7 for portable surround. Will be checking out the tribit lava soon.

No, you have no idea what you're talking about. The Bose Flex has a standby battery drain issue. It'll eat 30% a week

One thing I'll mention from my experience with the max it's the battery has some issues. It drains as much as 10% per week - completely unused. Never noticed that problem with the flex. It seems to be on discount often.

I have the Bose Flex and have just ordered the Flex 2. I haven’t heard the other models pictured so I can’t say which is better.

bose soundlink flex is the best there is

The Bose Soundlink Flex speakers are really good. You can find them on eBay at a decent price around $100, Costco also currently has them on sale for $98. Bose still cares about the quality, their products are well made. You're paying up for the quality and sound. I am yet to run into a person who doesn't love their Bose speakers. It's pricey, but you're buying a product for a decade or more of use, pay up a little.

For under $300 I’d say the Bose SoundLink Flex or the Sonos Roam are probably the best balance of sound quality, durability and ease of use. Both pairs instantly feel premium, and the battery life is solid. If you want something tougher for outdoors, JBL Xtreme 3 is a tank and still sounds great tbh.

Based on my experience in owning both speakers I have to say the Soundcore Motion+ and the Bose SoundLink Flex are very clear sounding audiophile level speakers with great details.

I've both. imho flex does sound better.

I agree with the other replies that two speakers are better than one. It depends on how big you are willing to carry around. My favorite that I've settled on is the Soundcore Boom 2. Although it is slightly larger than my idea size for a portable speaker, the handle makes it easy to move around. In my opinion it is just about the perfect balance of size, clarity, and bass for a portable speaker. It has great sound and great bass (even outside). It just won't fit in a small spot. For a smaller speaker, I would recommend the Earfun Uboom L or the Soundcore Motion 300 or the Bose Soundlink Flex. Again, a pair of these in stereo will get the best most room filling sound. All of these are small and easy to carry and easy to place anywhere. If you just want one speaker, I would recommend the Tribit Stormbox Blast or the Earfun Uboom X. They both sound great, with full sound, clarity, and deep bass. But they are huge! Probably not easily carried from room to room, but that that is your decision to make. The Soundcore Boom 2 would be good as a single speaker too, with a smaller size, but it won't sound quite as good as these other two.

Tribit Micro is a great pocket speaker. Earfun Uboom X is a high value bass blaster. Bose soundlink flex is a nice middle ground speaker and the JBL flip & Charge have good bass for the size.

New Pill is supposed to be decent. Bose Flex is a nice compact speaker that fits in backback too. Earfun uboom L is that weight category and a good budget option. I have a Soundcore Motion Plus that has worked well for a few years. It is a heavy little speaker compared to the ones mentioned above. I have a little Tribit stormbox mico for crusin on the bike that does a good job for it's small size.

Bose SoundLink flex is what I would look at if you want small & compact. The Earfun u boom L is a nice little speaker too. The Earfun u boom X is not a great looking fabric covered boom box but has balls where counts.

The Bose Flex does have clean not bass boosted sound. I have heard the Marshall Emberton III is a good one too..I just have not heard it myself. I did see that Best Buy does have a demo model currently. You used to have to order Marshall speakers from the warehouse.

The Bose Flex seems to have the best broad spectrum sound. Edifier makes some good quality speaker the are powered by a electrical cord, but they connect to devices by BT or optical or rca inputs. Bose Soundlink Max may be a bit better than flex.

I have liked the Wonderboom that I bought during Covid. I like its softball size. It is super easy carry or put on a small desk while working The Bose Flex is a great sounding small speaker. I did get a chance to hear recently both the JBL Flip 6 and Sony Ult 1 they both sounded really good . The Soundcore Motion 300 and Glow both sound quite good. The Glow has a 360 sound design similar to the the ue Wonderboom or boom 4. (edited to fix grammar).

Bose Soundlink Flex and SoundLink Max are both good speakers. I heard the JBL flip 6 recently. It did sound good.

I think technically Bose Flex is the absolute best sounding small personal speaker. The JBL Flip 6 is a great sounding speaker. To me, it sounded better than the prior model the Flip 5. I do like speakers with small footprints personally. I do like the Flip and Charges from JBL and the Wonderboom and Boom from UE because of the small footprint.

The Bose Flex does have really good clarity. I tried several speakers at Best Buy. Its clarity is quite good for the price.

The Bose Flex is quite nice. The audio editor for Cnet.com rated it as the best sounding personal speaker. The Marshall Emberton III is good too. I have the Wonderboom that I have enjoyed because of small footprint. I use it often for podcasts. New 1 has a specific podcast mode. It does a great job on midrange, and the new W4 has improved bass. Bass is not as good as a bigger speaker. My family likes it for classical music and xmas music . I use earbuds for classic rock that my family doesn't love.

The Bose Flex is nice. Good tuning. 2 is ideal. I like some of the smaller UE models. I like my Wonderboom 2. The 4 has improved bass. The Boom 4 is a nice model too. The Marshall Emberton is nice too. I have been told it is not boosted either.

Regarding the items at Costco, the Bose Flex is likely the best sounding item. Soundcore's sound is of similar sound quality to JBL and Sony. The small Select 4 speakers do sound good. I think Costco is also selling the Boom 2 by Soundcore. I heard this item at Walmart. It is a good sounding baby boom box.

yeah, can't argue with that. If the budget wasn't an issue, I would've bought the Flex without a second thought.

I saved up and bought the Bose Soundlink Flex.

i ended up buying the bose soundlink flex after saving up a bit

It's a bit more expensive than the others in the segment but totally worth it.

I have 2 of these for a few months now, they sound amazing for the price and look good too. I actually prefer the sound to flip 6, ult field 1, emberton 2 and sound link flex

I use the Bose Soundlink Flex for listening in the shower. It sounds pretty good after setting the bass to -10 and the mids and highs to 4/6. I don't know why all Bluetooth speakers are so bass-oriented it sounds awful

The Bose SoundLink Flex is small, but it puts out a surprisingly decent amount of sound and the bluetooth syncs easily to your device. It's on sale now for $129.

X300 is what I would say without context and my idea of "mini". Bose Soundlink Flex if you can go to what I consider "small". JBL clip if you need something I consider "micro"

Bose Sounlink Flex has been rated as one of the best Bluetooth speakers in its weight class consistently for a hot minute. I would lean towards the Bose if they were the same price and not think twice if it was $50 cheaper and almost 1/2 off the retail price. Also it has AUX in while the pill does not.

How often are you using AUX and when you are, is a medium sized portable Bluetooth speaker really the best solution, or should you be looking at a static 2.1 stereo system? There is no champion of every category but the flex is really solid and go read reviews outside Reddit to double check because the hivemind is real. The Bose sound link max has an aux port but it's $300-400. It's good but that's 2-3x the price and I am curious what use case you have where AUX is that important in situations where a stereo system wouldn't be viable, because there is no contest about which would sound better.

Since you are notably going to be in one location, why accept the limitations inherent to portable Bluetooth speakers? Consider a receiver and a 2.1 system with two bookshelves and a subwoofer. You can still listen to music quietly and it will sound better than any portable Bluetooth speaker. It will never need to be charged and it's modular so you can upgrade and expand it over time. You may need help getting it setup and installed the first time. Otherwise, if you are going to have it in bed with you, the Bose Soundlink Flex is one of the best in its class and not bulky. It's listed as one of the top portable Bluetooth speakers again and again. The Soundcore X600 if there is a surface near you that you can set it on. It's too bulky to have in bed with you but it sounds great at low volumes as well.

I've been a long time Bose Bluetooth supporter and owner. Their home stereo speakers aren't my thing too much, but I own 4 of their Bluetooth portable speaker line. 2 Flex and 2 micro. While they both do an impressive job respectively, the Bose Connect app has finally ended up being a deal breaker for my needs. You can only connect 2 speakers total with TWS. I don't know of any product that I've used in conjunction with an application that is less functional than the Connect app. Bose is known for great tech around their product lines, and for decades. Whoever built that app should no longer be employed by such a great company. So, I started to look around for where the tech was at currently across the market. After a good bit of reading reviews by consumers, publications and reviewers, I landed on Anker's Soundcore line of speakers. I now have 6 of them. I bought each one from Soundcore's refurbished store through Temu. I have a little more invested for those 6 than what two Bose micros actually cost me. Soundcore speakers are really good. They are very comparable to Bose in sound quality and construction, and their app will allow 100 or more of their speakers with the Party Up feature to connect to your phone or whatever your source is. It also has a custom equalizer, and several presets are in the app. None of those are in the Bose Connect app. There is an impressive amount of technology in their products like DACs, and like Bose Flex, they adjust and maximize sound quality if they are lying flat, upright, or hanging. Soundcore also have several models of high resolution digital speakers that really sound impressive also. In the high resolution speakers, I went with the Motion 300s, 30 watts apiece and a little bit smaller than my Bose Flex(which are 20 watts)..but, the bonus: I paid $52 apiece for the Motion 300s, which is ⅓ the price of a flex..and the Soundcore app for them works. Every time. I found my new favorite line of Bluetooth speakers only because I had been purchasing Anker charge cables and external battery chargers for well over a decade. I also purchased one of their first model of speakers, and I still own it from 12 or 13 years ago, and it still works well. So, they were on my radar for a long time as quality stuff. But, their r&d has upped their game since those days. I hope Bose gets their stuff together. I told em in an email 2 or 3 years ago what a piece of crap their app was, but they haven't responded. The Bose Connect app is rated at over 4 stars on Google, so I'm either one of very few that is experiencing a negative experience, or something is at play with their ratings being rigged..I'm not suggesting Google or Bose of being less than honest, but I can't rate that app at more than 2 stars and I'm being a tad bit generous with that. Soundcore's app? 5 stars!!

Any Bose. I have a soundlink flex, a revolve 2, and a micro. All are great. This weekend I used the revolve outside while doing yard work and it sounded great.

I think they would really like the Bose flex but everyone is always trying to cram soundcore’s down everyone’s throats. I agree they are good speakers for the price.

Last week I compared a JBL charge 5 and Bose sound link flex side by side. Charge 5 was much 'fuller' sounding and made the sound link feel a bit muffled.

From the Roam that I had, I liked how the midrange and highs sounded, but the bass is very weak if I compare it to my SoundLink Flex or the Flip 6, and it loses bass at higher volumes of 60%, which is more noticeable. The other negative thing is the battery life, in my case it only lasted 6 hours at 50% volume. If you want it to last longer, you have to deactivate the microphone and you lose Trueplay and the voice assistant.

Probably your best bet if you dont need to max your budget is something between the bose flex and the soundcore x600. I’ve Read a lot good about the ultimate ears boom but never saw one. Today I’ve actually bought one Sony xb-100: it’s good enough. For indoor is enough powerful for when I’m alone (main use) and for a room with 4/6 people. Only “issue” I had was the sound too thin when i first turned it on. Really too thin. i went on spotify settings and i noticed it had reduced bass EQ, after i put boosted bass it’s great. I like to have a smaller speaker than the JBL flip since most of the times i wouldnt need that and it’s half the size and weight. But it’s a 25€ speaker. I could easily buy another orange one in the future to just swap em when one is low battery or to pair em for stereo. But if I didnt wanted a small speaker to just trash around I would went straight to the x600 imo. Anyway, the best one for 300 is probably the bose max.

I bought mine in 2018 and it's still my favorite speaker. the Soundlink Max is admittedly better in direct comparison (sounds somehow clearer and more refined) however the Revolve is more convenient in daily life due to is size and shape. It's also superior in settings where you place the speaker somewhere and then move around a lot Weirdly Bose has kinda abandoned the Revolve line even though the Flex series cannot match it (I've compared them too)

Willen sounds so hollow in front of the flex. Even the wonderboom 4 sound such better than the willen. I have extensively used both.

If portability, durability and sound clarity are your priorities, the SoundLink Flex is an excellent choice

Not comparable. Flex is among the best for the size but it's a small speaker. Harman is offering good detail is sure better than the flex and if I m not wrong x6 the weight. Don't know about xg300.

It has been a while that no one has posted posted Bose speakers here. Anyways I have finally bought a really good sounding bass Bose portable speaker. I said that because I have the soundlink color 2 and it sounds good but I needed something with better bass response in other songs. So I finally got the revolve + and it sounds amazing and since it’s used I bought for 65 bucks! Such a super deal when these be costing like 200 brand new! For the price I got it I’m very satisfied with the sound quality, bass, and 360 sound. I was impressed that even it was grade C used it was in very good condition even for the price. The only thing it has is a little tiny dent and it’s not even scratched. If y’all searching for a Bose portable speaker I go with the revolve + or the soundlink flex, the color 2 is good but not as bass heavy so I would rather get the soundlink flex.

I was just deciding between JBL Flip 6 and Bose Soundlink Flex and got myself the Bose. I am more than satisfied with my choice. I use it mostly indoors, so I rarely go above 60 % volume, but I tried and it can be really loud too. It has a deep bass and a clean sound and if you prefer different EQ settings, the gen 2 has EQ in app.

I’ve owned the 300, and have a pair of Flex 2s I got on sale. If money is tight, the 300 is a good alternative to the Bose Flex. I also have a pair of Stormbox Micro 2s as well. Paired…they beat a solo 300, but not the Flex. I still love them for sound, portability, and cost.

Sonos move 2, makes my bose soundlink flex sound muddled. Good tight bass. I was surprised by how well it filled the room. Wifi streaming sealed the deal. Not having to worry about notifications or clicking a link from a friend while streaming music for family is nice. IP56

Could get one Bose or JBL that pairs foe stereo. Get one now and save for another later…. I have two Soundlink Flex speakers for travel stereo. Then if my wife and I are in separate places we can each take one if need be.

Interesting, as my wife and I just did our own sound test with the Charge 6 and the SoundLink Plus and found the results totally opposite of the linked review above: almost every song we played, or instrumental, sounded much better on the Plus than the Charge 6. My wife initially like the 6 better but once we did some serious listening she went for the Plus. Vocals sounded much clearer, more lifelike, on it. Also, at lower listening levels the speaker excelled. We also tested the SoundLink Flex and the JBL Xtreme 4. The Flex sounded quite nice, but the Xtreme offered nothing better than the Charge 6 for the money.

Still the Bose Soundlink Flex

I have a bose flex, dont recon much too it tbh, it's ok for the size but not much better than my bose soundlink micro which I prefer because it has volume lights and is alot smaller

Bose soundlink flex are pretty good for the price

Yes, relative to the size. Not as good as the flex though.

Dont know the HK. The XG300 has deeper bass, sounds fuller, has stereo , a wider soundstage, better details, and can play louder. So for almost the same price, you get much more with the Sony. But the Sony is quite chunky and heavy. The Bose is super small and light und easy to take with you. Also it is a bit better in sound/size ratio. So if portability is your main concern, go with the flex. If power, bass and stereo is more important to you, take the Sony.

A quick interject... if you have a Flex , don't upgrade to the Flex Plus. Not worth it. Save your money and go for the Max or stay with the regular Flex. I'm kinda thinking of returning my Flex Plus because I barely hear any difference from my Flex. All they added on the Flex Plus is way more mid and treble. I prefer the warmer sound of the regular Flex.

I bought it and kind of regret it since it is BARELY better than the regular Flex. It is definitely a mids and highs forward speaker with nearly the same amount of bass as the standard Flex. I'll keep it for now, but will most likely sell it to get the Max instead. The standard Flex has a much warmer sound. The Flex Plus is too bright and the mids smash you in the face over everything else. I think they did this to give the appearance of being louder and clearer.

The Bose Flex is the best bang for the buck in their current line up. Definitely worth getting. It's the most bass and clearest audio you'll get out of something this compact and easy to carry. I like the sound even better on the regular Flex than my Flex Plus.

We have one of those still going that is older than 2017. Not sure when we bought it, but have had it forever. Only travel speaker we take on our adventures.

Same here! My 2 soundlinks are still going strong and I even still have my sounddock from when I was young.

I find the Bose to be most pleasing of anything available in the market and did not hear any distortion when testing it thoroughly - waiting for some discount on this side of the world before I buy it !

Diggin my Bose Soundlink. Thin for portability. The bass isn't mind blowing but I was surprised for the size. Sounds great.

I do. for me. so I'm the guy who rarely listens to music around others. I don't like listening to others music especially out side, at a park or beach for example. so I don't listen to my music loud out of consideration. this little bose unit sounds great to just chill with on the back porch, not loud enough for the neighbors to hear but it's able to reproduce great sound at moderate levels. I like this flatter form over the round speakers, it will pack better. if it packs better the chance is higher it will go more places with me.

Yes. I can hear the bass at low volumes. All frequencies are well produced.

Using an old Bose sound link Bluetooth speaker when I need more sound that the mini provides.

Bose soundlink is a good option. A little out of your price range, but worth checking out IMO.

Yeah, I have the old soundlink and I have no issues with it. I can only imagine the new version is the same if not better.

I have a Bose soundlink and a soundlink mini and I think they’re both pushing 15 years. The mini has been drug all over golf courses and gotten wet countless times. The soundlink has been outdoors on patios or back porches everywhere I’ve lived that entire time

Flip 6 and Bose SoundLink are both excellent options, but for me personally, after owning both, I’ll go for the Bose. Deeper bass and clarity.

The woofer just blew on my 10 year old soundlink. I'm crushed.

I have both the JBL clip and Bose sound link. Both amazing, depending on need. If it’s staying around the house, sound link. On the move, beach, etc… JBL

Ah, when you said black and orange I immediately thought jbl. I have a jbl charge and the battery is amazing. My OG Bose soundlink? Still cranking after over 12 years.

The bose isnt bad at all. There plenty out there that actually sound bad. Also its the only thing i've no latency issues or connection issues. Every jbl i've had has had Bluetooth issues, latency, and broken on me. With bose i've never had a single peice of equipment fail on me since my first acoustimass back in the day

I agree as well. I dont experience any distortion at max volumes. Can vary on audio sample quality as well.

I have a black and orange. They can be paired to make a super speaker. Easy to travel with and waterproof. Havent bought another speaker after this one! So good

Bose Soundlink hands down

I rocked a BOSE Soundlink for a decade as my portable speaker of choice. I totally bought BOSE sales pitch in the brochure that said the speaker would not produce needlessly exaggerated bass & was built for space filling clarity. Wonderful!  Then I got a first generation MOVE & couldn’t believe what a measly sound experience I had been enduring. The BOSE soundlink series are NOT stereo speakers. They do not move enough air to produce any significant low-end tones. YES, you can crank it to full volume without distortion. But it still a mono, compressed Bluetooth signal. Have you ever sat a MOVE on a piece of wooden furniture outdoors? FORGETABOUTIT!!! The move sitting on my wooden stairs or patio ROCKS THE WHOLE FUCKING YARD.  And the way it can hold on to my crappy over-crowded 2.4GHz wifi signal at ASTOUNDING distances from my house is downright mystical. My kids can be in the neighbours yard, outside, 200 feet from my router & still bark song requests at Alexa and IT WORKS!!  Our Move has had the shit kicked out of it. It’s dented & scratched & has paint flaking off of it. It’s been left out overnight in the rain multiple times. Gets chlorinated pool water all over its control surfaces, weekly.  But it still sounds AMAZING. And the battery life is still delightfully robust despite years of faithful service. 

I have them. They’re cool to show off to your friends right up until the moment that you turn them on. They have zero depth, zero bass, and really aren’t that loud. My Bose SoundLink sounds 1000x better and is much louder. You’ll get better sound from just turning on your stereo and rolling down the windows. I was highly disappointed. I don’t have any connectivity issues like a lot of people. As soon as I drop the gate, it turns on and immediately starts playing music from my phone. I really wouldn’t spend the money unless you hear one in person and decide it’s worth it. Because it’s not.

Oh bose is no competition to the charge 5, crossover on the soundlink series is horrible and it made the speaker sound muddy. Your gonna get better speakers cheaper than the bose, their just really greedy with their shit. It just looks more premium, thats all.

I have to say that, for as much as I love the Bose speakers I own, battery drain is far more noticeable than with other brands I own. My Bang & Olufsen speakers have the absolute least battery drain while idle; JBL is great for power retention, too.